(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to tsunami detection. In particular, the present invention is directed to a system that can reduce the amount of time it takes to detect a tsunami by an order of magnitude by using an underwater fiber optic cable as a pressure sensor.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Although tsunami waves contain tremendous energy, their distributed nature (e.g., very long periods and wavelengths) make detection difficult. A satellite radar detection of the tsunami wave created by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was made hours after the tsunami wave originated and occurred far too late to provide any practical warning of the event. Detection of tsunami waves ideally need to occur in real time.
The Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART), a system patented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, attempts to detect tsunami waves via point measurements of pressure changes due to surface waves. However, given the long tsunami wavelengths, the DART point measurements will have a greater false alarm rate than a distributed measurement.
Currently, there is a need for a tsunami detection system that can detect very long wavelengths in ocean waves in real time and without a high false alarm rate.